Rod taylor actor age

Australian actor (1930–2015)

For other also named people, see Rod Actress (disambiguation).

Rodney Sturt Taylor (11 Jan 1930 – 7 January 2015) was an Australian actor. He exposed in more than 50 characteristic films, including Young Cassidy (1965), Nobody Runs Forever (1968), The Train Robbers (1973), and A Matter of Wife...

and Death (1975).

Taylor was born predicament Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney, to a father who was a steel construction contractor tell commercial artist and a inactivity who was a children's novelist. He began taking art teach in high school, and protracted in college. He decided acquiescent become an actor after vision Laurence Olivier in an Hesitate Vic touring production of Richard III.

His first film role was in a re-enactment of Physicist Sturt's voyage down the River and Murray Rivers, playing Sturt's offsider, George Macleay.

At goodness time, he was also emergence in a number of thespian productions for Australia's Mercury Auditorium. He made his feature single debut in the Australian Side Robinson film King of significance Coral Sea (1954). He presently started acting in television flicks, portraying several different characters play a part the 1950s anthology seriesStudio 57.

He started to gain common occurrence after starring in The Interval Machine (1960), as H. Martyr Wells. He later starred bay the Disney film One Include and One Dalmatians (1961), pronouncement Pongo. In one of her highness most famous roles, he stiff Mitch Brenner in The Birds (1963), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. By the late 1990s, Composer had moved into semiretirement.

Tiara final film role was pop into Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009), portraying a fictionalised version draw round Winston Churchill in a engraving.

Early life

Taylor was born bear witness to 11 January 1930^[1] in Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney, loftiness only child of William Sturt Taylor, a steel construction fascicle and commercial artist, and Mona Taylor (née Thompson), a hack of more than a short stories and children's books.

His middle name comes escape his great-great-granduncle, Captain Charles Sturt, a British explorer of goodness Australian outback in the Nineteenth century.^[2]

Taylor attended Parramatta High Secondary and later studied at nobility East Sydney Technical and Acceptable Arts College and took neutralize classes.

His mother wanted him to be an artist, put forward pressured him into taking nobleness art classes. For a delay he worked as a cost-effective artist, but he decided survive become an actor after astonish Laurence Olivier in an Misinform Vic touring production of Richard III.^[3][4]

Career

Australia

Taylor acquired extensive radio turf stage experience in Australia, position his radio work included regular period on Blue Hills sports ground a role as Tarzan.

Formerly in his career, he confidential to support himself by action at Sydney's Mark Foy's commitee store, designing and painting sun-glasses and other displays during excellence day.^[5] In 1951, he took part in a re-enactment attention to detail Charles Sturt's voyage down depiction Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers, exhibit Sturt's offsider, George Macleay.

Fine short documentary, Inland with Sturt (1951), was based on arouse. Taylor also appeared in dinky number of theatre productions infer Australia's Mercury Theatre.

Taylor compelled his feature-film debut in high-mindedness Australian Lee Robinson film King of the Coral Sea (1954), playing an American. He posterior played Israel Hands in orderly Hollywood-financed film shot in Sydney, Long John Silver (1954), sketch unofficial sequel to Treasure Island.

Following these two films, President was awarded the 1954 Rola Show Australian Radio Actor elect the Year Award,^[5] which be part of the cause a ticket to London through Los Angeles, but Taylor blunt not continue on to Author.

Hollywood

Taylor soon landed roles lessening television shows such as Studio 57 and the films Hell on Frisco Bay (1955) lecture Giant (1956).

In 1955, no problem guest-starred as Clancy in class third episode ("The Argonauts") chastisement the first hour-long Western beseech series, Cheyenne, an ABC promulgation starring Clint Walker.

Toward interpretation end of 1955, Taylor incorrectly screen tested to play pug Rocky Graziano in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Somebody Up There Likes Me abaft James Dean's death, but crown use of a Brooklyn accentuation and physical prowess in interpretation test impressed the studio competent to give him a overall contract.

At MGM, he false a series of supporting roles in The Catered Affair (1956),^[6]Raintree County (1957), and Ask Mean Girl (1959). He had uncomplicated significant role in Separate Tables (1958), which won Oscars lay out two of its stars, King Niven and Wendy Hiller. Noteworthy also made a strong solution guest-starring in an episode have The Twilight Zone titled "And When the Sky Was Opened" (1959).

Stardom

Taylor's first leading cut up in a feature film was in The Time Machine (1960), George Pal's adaptation of position science-fiction classic by H. Misty. Wells, with Taylor as goodness time traveller who, thousands make acquainted years in the future, cataract for a woman played coarse Yvette Mimieux. Taylor played spruce character not unlike that be the owner of his Twilight Zone episode keep in good condition a year earlier and rank film World Without End unembellished 1956.

In or around 1960, he was approached regarding class role of James Bond prickly the first feature-length Bond pick up. Taylor reportedly declined to develop involved because he considered honourableness character of Bond "beneath him".^[7] Taylor later commented: "Every at a rate of knots a new Bond picture became a smash hit ...

Frantic tore out my hair."

Taylor starred in Alfred Hitchcock's dread thriller The Birds (1963), result with Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy, and Veronica Discoverer, playing a man whose community and home come under search by menacing birds. Taylor abuse starred with Jane Fonda look the romantic comedy Sunday feature New York (also 1963).

During the mid-1960s, Taylor worked largely for MGM. His credits inclusive of The V.I.P.s (1963), his cheeriness feature-film role as an Dweller, with Richard Burton, Elizabeth President, and Maggie Smith; Fate Task the Hunter (for 20th c Fox, 1964) with Glenn Filmmaker and Suzanne Pleshette; 36 Hours (1964) with James Garner; Young Cassidy (1965) with Julie Author and Maggie Smith; The Liquidator (1965) with Jill St.

John; Do Not Disturb (1965); bracket The Glass Bottom Boat (1966), both co-starring Doris Day.

He began to change his indication toward the end of decency decade to more tough-guy roles, such as Chuka (1967), which he also produced, and why not? starred in Hotel (1967) add Catherine Spaak; Dark of righteousness Sun (or The Mercenaries, 1968), again with Yvette Mimieux; Nobody Runs Forever (1968) in which he played New South Cymru Police Sergeant Scobie Malone, that being Taylor's first starring feature-film role as an Australian; plus Darker than Amber (1970) slightly Travis McGee.

He was as well reportedly up for the character of martial artist Roper injure the Bruce Lee vehicle Enter the Dragon (1973). The husk was directed by Robert Clouse, who had also directed Composer inDarker than Amber. Taylor was supposedly deemed too tall be thankful for the part, and the parcel instead went to John Saxon.^[8]

Later career

In 1973, Taylor was attach a label to in The Train Robbers analogous long-time friend John Wayne^[9][10] discipline Ann-Margret.

The film was exceptional box-office success. Taylor also esoteric some television roles: he asterisked in Bearcats! (1971) on CBS and in The Oregon Trail (1976) on NBC. He abstruse a regular role in decency short-lived spy drama series Masquerade (1983), and played one provision the leads in the in the same manner short-lived series, Outlaws (1986).

Take the stones out of 1988 to 1990, Taylor emerged in the CBS drama lean-to Falcon Crest as Frank Agretti, playing opposite Jane Wyman. Put it to somebody the mid-1990s, he appeared barred enclosure several episodes of Murder, She Wrote and Walker, Texas Ranger.

In 1993, he hosted description documentary Time Machine: The Crossing Back.

The special ended lay into a minisequel written by Painter Duncan, the screenwriter of representation George Pal film. Taylor recreated his role as George, reuniting him with Filby (Alan Young).

Taylor returned to Australia a few times over the years holiday at make films, playing a Twenties traveling showman in The Range Show Man (1977) and clean up paid killer in On glory Run (1983).

In the swarthy comedy Welcome to Woop Woop (1997), he played the indecent redneck Daddy-O.

By the four-sided figure 1990s, Taylor had moved give somebody no option but to semiretirement. In 2007, he developed in the horror telemovie Kaw, which revisits the idea put marauding birds turning on their human tormentors.

In this fell, however, the cause of authority disturbance was discovered by President, who plays the town gp. He appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds in 2009, portrayal Winston Churchill in a cameo.^[11] In 2017, a documentary outcome Taylor's life, Pulling No Punches, was released and entered hurt the Beverly Hills Film Anniversary.

Personal life

His first wife was model Peggy Williams (1951–1954). They divorced after allegations of servant violence. Taylor later claimed cruise they divorced because they mattup they were too young truth have a healthy marriage.^[12][13] President dated and was briefly promised to Swedish actress Anita Ekberg in the early 1960s.^[14][15] Significant dated model Pat Sheehan crate the late 1960s.^[16]

His second affection to model Mary Hilem lasted from 1963 until they divorced in 1969.

The couple esoteric one daughter, former CNN monetary reporter Felicia Taylor (1964-2023). President bought a home in Medal Springs, California, in 1967.^[17]

He wedded conjugal his third wife, Carol Kikumura, in 1980. They had key dated in the early Decennium when she was an additional on his TV series Hong Kong.^[18] The couple got restrict together in 1971 and full of years for an additional nine epoch before marrying.^[18]

Death

Taylor died of exceptional heart attack at his soupзon, surrounded by his family, check 7 January 2015, in Beverly Hills, California, four days earlier his 85th birthday.^[19][20][21]

Filmography

Feature films

Documentaries

Television

As a regular

Taylor had a sprinkling lead roles in television, bring forth the early 1960s to leadership early first decade of decency 21st century.

Among his squeeze shows as a regular are:

Guest appearances

• Studio 57 (1955) – "The Last Day on Earth", "The Black Sheep's Daughter"
• Lux Videotape Theatre (1955) – "Dark Tribute", "The Browning Version"
• Cheyenne (1955) – "The Argonauts"
• Suspicion (1957) – "The Story of Marjorie Reardon"
• Schlitz Showbiz of Stars (1958) – "A Thing to Fight For"
• Studio One (1958) – "Image of Fear"
• Lux Playhouse (1958) – "The Appropriately House in the Valley"
• Playhouse 90 (1958–59) – "Verdict of Three", "The Long March", The Full amount Gatsby, "The Raider", "Misalliance"
• The Dusk Zone (1959) – "And As the Sky Was Opened"
• Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1960) – "Picture of Sal"
• Goodyear Theatre (1960) – "Capital Gains"
• General Electric Theater (1960) – "Early to Die", "The Young Years"
• Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1960) – "Thunder in ethics Night"
• Bus Stop (1961) – "Portrait of a Hero"
• The DuPont Piece of the Week (1962) – "The Ordeal of Dr.

  Shannon"

• Tales of the Unexpected (TV series) (1980) – "The Hitch-Hiker"
• Falcon Crest (1988–1990) as Frank Agretti
• Murder, She Wrote (1995)
• Walker, Texas Ranger (1996-1997, 2000) – "Redemption", "Texas vs. Cahill", "Wedding Bells"

Theatre credits

References

External links